1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to systems and methods of secure processing, and in particular to a method and system for securely booting a computer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional computer systems run under the control of an operating system that is stored on a hard disk drive. When the computer system is started up, the computer system's processor must receive instructions enabling it to access the operating system on the hard disk drive, load it into the operating memory of the computer, and execute the operating system so that the computer may become operable. Such startup instructions are typically stored in read only memory (ROM) or boot flash memory internal to the computer system, and are conventionally known as the basic input/output system, or BIOS.
Unfortunately, during boot-up, the computer system is vulnerable to hacking. This can be accomplished, for example, by modifying or bypassing the boot-up instructions, and inserting other instructions that can be exploited to hack into the computer system and it's related security features, including cryptographic security elements.
What is needed is a system and method for preventing such attacks, and rendering the computer system more secure during and after the boot-up process. The present invention satisfies that need.